Dick Cheney indicted for crime

Status
Not open for further replies.
Every Breaking Wave

Every Breaking Wave

Religion is a club
Joined
Sep 4, 2006
Messages
4,549
Reaction score
40
From Reuters

A grand jury in South Texas indicted U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and former attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday for "organized criminal activity" related to alleged abuse of inmates in private prisons.

The indictment has not been seen by a judge, who could dismiss it.

The grand jury in Willacy County, in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border, said Cheney is "profiteering from depriving human beings of their liberty," according to a copy of the indictment obtained by Reuters.

The indictment cites a "money trail" of Cheney's ownership in prison-related enterprises including the Vanguard Group, which owns an interest in private prisons in south Texas.

Former attorney general Gonzales used his position to "stop the investigations as to the wrong doings" into assaults in county prisons, the indictment said.

Cheney's office declined comment. "We have not received any indictments. I can't comment on something we have not received," said Cheney's spokeswoman Megan Mitchell.

The indictment, overseen by county District Attorney Juan Guerra, cites the case of Gregorio De La Rosa, who died on April 26, 2001, inside a private prison in Willacy County.

The grand jury wrote it made its decision "with great sadness," but said they had no other choice but to indict Cheney and Gonzales "because we love our country."

Texas is the home state of U.S. President George W. Bush.

Bush and his Republican administration, which first took office in January 2001, leave the White House on January 20 after the November presidential elections won by Democrat Barack Obama. Gonzales was attorney general from 2005 to 2007.
Click to expand...
 
eh, he'll probably get off the hook. Hell, he shot a man by accident and didn't even get a reckless endangerment charge, IIRC.
 
Yeah I just added that to be politically correct D:
 
Watch him accidentally shoot the judge while looking for quail.
 
Just in the nick of time? Before the Bush regime is over? More approval points to pummel? I wonder what effect will this have on the transition phase.
 
It would be interesting if the Bush machine all goes out looking like scum.
 
I suppose as they come out of power, they're easier pickins.
 
This is about four years too late, and for the wrong charges.

Even if a conviction is made and a judgment handed down, it won't matter. Everyone involved in Bush's torture policies are getting a pardon. Why not throw 'ole Cheney a bone, too?

The United States' legal system strikes again! :mallet:
 
Well, would you look at that:

A judge dismissed indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Monday and told the southern Texas prosecutor who brought the case to exercise caution as his term in office ends.

Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra had accused Cheney and the other defendants of responsibility for prisoner abuse. The judge's order ended two weeks of sometimes-bizarre court proceedings.

Guerra is leaving office at the end of the month after soundly losing in his March primary election.

"I suggest on behalf of the law that you not present any cases to the grand jury involving these defendants," Administrative Judge Manuel Banales said in court while ruling that eight indictments against Cheney, Gonzales and others were invalid.

He also set a Dec. 10 hearing on whether to disqualify Guerra from those cases.

Even in defeat, Guerra saw the outcome as confirmation of the very conspiracy he had pursued. "I expected it," he said. "The system is going to protect itself."

Banales withheld judgment on whether probable cause existed for the Cheney and Gonzales indictments because they were not represented in court and did not present any argument. For the other defendants, he found no probable cause to support the charges.

A White House spokeswoman said Monday night that Cheney's office had no comment. A call to Gonzales' attorney was not immediately returned.

Three of the eight indictments returned Nov. 17 targeted private prison operator The GEO Group, state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., Cheney and Gonzales, as part of an investigation into prisoner abuse at privately run federal prisons in the county.

Guerra ran the investigation into alleged prisoner abuse with a siege mentality. He worked it from his home, dubbed it "Operation Goliath" and kept it secret from his staff, he said. He gave all the witnesses biblical pseudonyms — his was "David."

Banales dismissed all eight indictments because GEO Group attorney Tony Canales showed that two alternate jurors were part of the panel that day but had not been properly substituted.

Five of the indictments — against two district judges, two special prosecutors and the district clerk — were dismissed because Guerra was the alleged victim, witness and prosecutor. The indictments accused the five of abusing their power by being involved in a previous investigation of Guerra.

The indictment against Cheney alleged that his personal investment in the Vanguard Group, which invests in private prison companies, made him culpable in alleged prisoner abuse at privately run federal detention centers.

Gonzales was accused of using his position to stop an investigation into abuses at a federal detention center.

Lucio was alleged to have used his Senate position to profit as a prison consultant, but Banales ruled that the indictment failed to address whether Lucio knew he was only being hired to consult because he was a state senator.
Click to expand...
 
I'm not shocked.

Obama won't pursue charges against any Bush Administration officials either. Not to worry though.

History will be the judge, jury and executioner for these men. The Bush Administration will be judged worse than the Nixon Administration. It will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest example of abuse of power in civilized history.
 
America can be so fucking stupid. :headdesk:

ARGH. It's frustrating. Beyond that actually. These people are criminals, and yet they weasel out of their punishment. And probably just because of their positions, because we know that anyone else would have their asses roasted and served on a platter. That's like... the definition of suck.

Well, at least history will record them as such.
 
So basically this was a bitter judge who didn't have anything better to do after losing a primary than make up grand conspiracies against people in the Bush Administration?

For some people here Jan. 20 can't come any closer simply because they need to get rid of this blinding, unhealthy hatred of Bush. Then again, it may not be much better to replace that with idolization of Obama.
 
Misty said:
I'm going to be honest - like Nixon in 1974, it's probably best if we move on from this stuff.
Click to expand...

Big difference there is that Nixon admitted he did something wrong. Harder to move on when someone admits error than when someone continually insists they're right...and are constantly proven to NOT be right.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom